Intense, long-track, EF4 tornado between Bennington and Chapman Kansas on May 25, 2016 was on the ground for 90 minutes. I managed several close encounters with this sun lit tornado during it's life including one that was a little too close for comfort. Watch tornado video in 4K. for licensing contact hankschyma@yahoo.com
Earlier this afternoon strong instability under a stout cap set the stage for a couple isolated supercell thunderstorms somewhere in Central Kansas and by 5:30pm a storm was initiating near Salina Kansas. By 5:48 the National Weather service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for this explosive thunderstorm and at 6:30 I witnessed a long white funnel cloud under a low precipitation base. The storm took a breather for the next 45 minutes or so before suddenly dropping a large cone tornado South of Bennington Kansas in a relatively unpopulated area along the Solomon River.
The tornado grew violent immediately and maintained incredible wind speeds for up to 90 minutes. I was able to position close to this monster for a good portion of it's life and witnessed hellish scenes. Sunsetting light splashing into a debris cloud of whirling plants, dust and structure objects reached a half mile away from the powerhouse condensation funnel in all directions while turbulence waves of crops rocked like an angry sea.
This tornado received an EF4 rating by the NWS. Storm Chaser Brandon Clement also witnessed the tornado and afterward, walked the damage path to document the damage. He reported the worse vehicle damage he's ever witnessed with full sized HD pickups reduced to mangled frames and pieces spread for miles.
"A Freightliner semi was reduced to frame and wheels. 50k pound tractors were pushed across the ground, 30k pound bulldozer was rolled, railroad tracks were bent and moved. Large trees were uprooted, thrown and some found laying out in the middle of pastures hundreds of yards away."
Brandon also reported that this tornado was rated EF4 because it didn't hit any well built structures with anchor bolts. If this tornado had there is no doubt in his or my mind this tornado would have received an EF5. The EF rating scale is a based on damage so if a tornado with winds over 200 mph (EF5 speeds) doesn't hit any structures, then it doesn't receive that rating. Regardless of the rating, 25 homes were damaged or destroyed and remarkably no lives were lost.